Monday, June 7, 2010

We traveled to my cousin Tom’s wedding over the weekend. Like any true family gathering, there were tears and laughter, music, heartbreak, joy, dancing, expectations, drama, tortillas and an open bar.

Babies cried and were tended by their grandfathers. My son ignored lunch but ate four stolen cupcakes from the back of the wedding dessert display. It was hot and there was shade. Jeff played guitar and cousin Grat played the piano. There were funny toasts and blessings and sombreros. My mother and I took turns dancing with my cousin Dan and mom and I both realized that he danced just like my dad used to. Two families were joined together.

The bride’s gorgeous 97 year-old grandmother danced with my cousin’s son Max. He leaves in a few months to serve with the Marines in Afghanistan. Max’s mother, Theresa, and I took a turn dancing with Grandmother. She commanded us to show her our “moves.” Theresa lightly did the bump with her a few times. Grandmother then leaned over to me and said, “I think you’ll need to do that on the other side to put my hip back in place.”